• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

soft front forks

  • Thread starter Thread starter detorn
  • Start date Start date
D

detorn

Guest
I recently re-redid the front fork seals. All seemed to be good, there are no visible leaks of fluid and it is holding air.

now they provide no resistance except for the springs. they bottom out just rocking it and holding the brake.

air pressure is where its supposed to be, and showed no sign of leaking with soapy water test.

ideas?
 
Last edited:
Sonic fork springs.

No air pressure.
 
detorn said:
it's holding air fine though, even over inflated to check. I would like better springs eventually, but I don't think thats my current issue.
Click to expand...
No, your 'current issue' is that your stock springs, which were too weak when they were inserted in the tubes in Japan, are even weaker now, and REALLY need to be replaced.

Progressive fork springs are about $75 from Z1 Enterprises, Sonic springs are about $80, direct from Sonic. For what it's worth, the owners of both of those places are members here, and I don't think they will be offended if you choose the other's springs.

With either one, you will get a better spring rate (you can choose the rate with Sonic) and will not have to add ANY air to hold the front end up.

The quantity or viscosity of oil in the forks will not determine whether you can bottom the forks, only how quickly you can bottom them. To keep from bottoming, you need spring pressure. The oil just keeps the motion slower and smoother.

.
 
detorn said:
I recently re-redid the front fork seals. All seemed to be good, there are no visible leaks of fluid and it is holding air.

now they provide no resistance except for the springs. they bottom out just rocking it and holding the brake.

air pressure is where its supposed to be, and showed no sign of leaking with soapy water test.

ideas?
Click to expand...

How were they before? Do you have the same amount of air pressure in them after the seals as before? Did you replace the oil with the same weight and amount? Did you forget to put the spring preload spacers back in? How much static sag did you have before? How much sag now?

It sounds to me like your oil is way low and allowing the easy bottoming or you forgot the preload spacers on top of the springs.


Mark
 
Steve said:
No, your 'current issue' is that your stock springs, which were too weak when they were inserted in the tubes in Japan, are even weaker now, and REALLY need to be replaced.
Click to expand...

The springs don't get weaker from being compressed 30 years, but they get shorter. This combined with the fact that they were much too weak to begin with makes spring replacement mandatory if you want anything resembling a safe bike to ride.

+1 on the cartiridge emulators, too.
The two together with decent rear shocks, if setup correctly, will let it handle like a bike from the nineties. Early nineties maybe.
 
mmattockx said:
How were they before? Do you have the same amount of air pressure in them after the seals as before? Did you replace the oil with the same weight and amount? Did you forget to put the spring preload spacers back in? How much static sag did you have before? How much sag now?
Mark
Click to expand...

they were fine before the work. they were fine even a couple days after. I suspect I just did something wrong. there are no preload spacers. The oil weight in there I know is not correct as well, but like I said they were good for a day or two after. may finally give in and take it to a shop.
 
detorn said:
... may finally give in and take it to a shop.
Click to expand...
Take it to a shop and all bets are off. :-\\\

Good luck. Hope you can find a shop that will let it in the door and/or might do a decent job.

There is no doubt, however, that it will NOT be cheap.

.
 
The forks are not complicated.
You are probably right in that you made some sort of assembling error in one or both forks. There are lots of pics around showing how the go together.
You should take them apart again and find the problem. You probably won't have to separate the tubes.

Better find the issue yourself than to take the bike to some shop and pay them to find out you are an idiot and end up kicking your own ass all the way home.

re-work is pretty common.

if you can afford to take it to a shop, you can afford new springs. If not the old springs can be cut (cut soft end) and replaced with a length of spacer.

the fact that there are no preload spacers seems strange.
is the flat washer with no hole on top of the spring?
 
derwood said:
is the flat washer with no hole on top of the spring?
Click to expand...

no there was no washer at either end of the spring.

edit: looking at the breakout there is no washer at the top, but there is one at the bottom of the spring that I'm pretty sure is not there.

JOFKPx1.png
 
Last edited:
Steve said:
Take it to a shop and all bets are off. :-\\\
Good luck. Hope you can find a shop that will let it in the door and/or might do a decent job. There is no doubt, however, that it will NOT be cheap.
Click to expand...

I am lucky that there is a GREAT shop, out here, that specializes in suspension rebuilding and tuning.
Lots of guys from Philly come out here and bring their bikes, to him. (Al Carr, Reactive Suspension, Oley, PA.)

What I, and others, have done, if you want it done TODAY, and fast, by a pro, is take off the forks and drop them off.
He is very reasonable on labor, given his expertise. (He loves GS's and used to prep them, at the dealer, when they came out, new.)

It isn't that hard to do the forks yourself, though.

Here's a quote about Reactive that I found at a thumper site, recently:

Yea I would skip over VPE, if you want your stuff done right, and by the best guy around, go to Al Carr at Reactive Suspension. He's a Race Tech distributor and does the most amazing work out there. Guys constantlyyyyy are asking to ride my bike because they say it has the smoothest and best suspension out there. Mines soft for woods, but I cannot get it to bottom on an mx track either. Its heaven!!
 
Last edited:
gsgeezer said:
I am lucky that there is a GREAT shop, out here, that specializes in suspension rebuilding and tuning.
Lots of guys from Philly come out here and bring their bikes, to him. (Al Carr, Reactive Suspension, Oley, PA.)
Click to expand...
I have heard of Reactive, and what I heard was, indeed, good stuff.

However, it sounded like detorn was simply going to take his bike to the local dealer.

.
 
detorn said:
I recently re-redid the front fork seals. All seemed to be good, there are no visible leaks of fluid and it is holding air.

now they provide no resistance except for the springs. they bottom out just rocking it and holding the brake.

air pressure is where its supposed to be, and showed no sign of leaking with soapy water test.

ideas?
Click to expand...

I have springs that I strongly suspect could use replacing. Until then, I just keep the air up near the maximum, and it works okay (no bottoming out).

Just a temporary rig that allows the bike to be ridden, until the problem (and options) can be analyzed.

NOTE: DO NOT put air in your forks with anything but a hand pump designed for the purpose.
 
detorn said:
reasonable is a point of view...lol what do you think I would be looking at if I brought the forks there off the bike?
Click to expand...
When you get that number, compare it with the $75 or so for Progressive springs and $80 or so for Sonic springs, then add about $15 for some fork oil and be done with it.

In other words, less than $100 plus your time.
icon_shrug.gif


.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top